COMPARATIVE STUDY OF QUALITATIVE ADJECTIVE INFLECTIONS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN ENGLISH AND ASTORI DIALECT OF SHINA LANGUAGE: A MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The study is a morphological analysis in order to explores similarities and differences of adjective inflections and their functions in English language and in Astori dialect of Shina language. Inflections of adjectives have been taken as the stand point of this study. Findings of the study revealed that Shna is highly inflected language as compared to English.  Adjectives in English are inflected to show the degrees (comparative, superlative). On the other hand in Shina, to express degrees like comparative and superlative, separate words are used as; “dango”, “lawo dango”, “pooroneo dango” here the words “lawo” and “pooroneo” show the degrees but the inflections “ngo” shows the masculine gender. The study revealed that in Shina it is necessary for  adjectives to agree with the noun they describe and follow, that is, they need to agree with the noun in gender and number. For example, if the noun that follows an adjective is singular and masculine, the adjectives , most of the time, take the inflection “-o”, as in “dudooro” ( masculine singular circular), and if the noun is masculine and plural, the adjective takes the inflection “-ay” as in “dudooray” (masculine circular plural). When the noun, which is being modified by an adjective, is feminine and singular, the adjective takes the inflection “-i”, and when the noun is feminine and plural, it takes the inflection “-iye” as in “naayi” for singular feminine (new) and “naaiye” for feminine plural (new).